In our series of Must Do Things Around Greater Houston, we take a look at Houston’s vast array of neighborhoods and communities to bring you five fun, tasty, and enticing reasons you should give each a visit. Originally published in 2016, we are now refreshing, updating, and adding to this series, including new neighborhoods and destinations.
About 25 miles northwest of Downtown, Cypress was a once rural area, with most of its residents in the rice and dairy farming industry. Today, it has blossomed into one of Houston’s largest suburbs. The neighborhood has both Atakapan Indian and German heritage, the latter of which can be seen in some of the street and school names—like Huffmeister Road Matzke Elementary.
Look out for the planned Cypress Creek Greenway Project, a major parks project that will serve to mitigate flooding, provide recreational opportunities, and preserve natural habitat across the Cypress Creek watershed. And of course, check out these other fun things to do.
5 Must Do Things in Cypress
- Go beast mode on a burger at The Shack Burger Resort – One of the city’s best burger joints—or shall we say “burger resorts”—lies right in Cypress. It’s all about locally-sourced, freshly-formed, and ingeniously-topped patties, here. The sloppy burgers come in a variety of flavors, like the new Brazilian Burger with cheddar, ham, grilled corn, potato stix, and fried plantain for buns; or the AM Burger with sausage, bacon, egg, and spicy blackberry jam. Take them down alongside cold brews and fantastic onion strings on the sprawling patio. Click here for directions to The Shack.
- Get your shopping on at the Houston Premium Outlets – If your idea of an amazing shopping experience is one where you can get deals, deals, deals, the Houston Premium Outlets are for you. Hit the Nike Factory, Lululemon, and Under Armour stores to gear up for your next run; suit up for the work week at Banana Republic Factory, J.Crew Factory, and Brooks Brothers Factory Store; and get gussied up at Swarovski, Tory Burch, and Saks off Fifth. You’ll also find luxury bath and beauty stores, home furnishing outlets, kid’s stores, shoe shops and more. Click here for directions.
- Take a stroll on the Boardwalk at Towne Lake – The Boardwalk at Towne Lake offers restaurants, shops and a roster of special events along Towne Lake’s sparkling shores. Relax with spa treatments, including Dead Sea pedicures at LUX NOA Nail Spa, hot stone treatments at Massage Heights, and cryotherapy at Reserve Salon and Spa. Work up a sweat at Orange Theory Fitness or Pure Barre before treating yourself to fresh roasts and espresso-topped chocolate bark at Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co or fro-yo at Sub Zero. Dining options range from rustic European fare at Jaxton’s Bistro and MOD Pizza‘s made-to-order pizzas to Gulf Coast seafood and ice cold beer at Sam’s Boat, with a plethora of other concepts joining the fun. Click here for directions.
- Date night, Italian-style at Mezzanotte – Named one of Alison Cook’s Top 100 Restaurants for 2018, this homegrown establishment—run by husband and wife team Gerry and Adriana Sarmiento—is the definition of a hidden gem (it’s hiding in a Cypress strip center, after all). You can feel the love upon first glance, its comforting, red-toned dining room warmly lit; and then further in the elegant Italian entrees and tapas. Dine on housemade pappardelle bolognese, fall-apart tender osso bucco and delicate sole picatta, and decadent crème brulee alongside a fine selection of beer, wine, and cocktails. Those looking for a deal should come for Thursday’s prix fixe menu, when you can get three courses for $23. Click here for directions.
- Catch a show at The Berry Center – Cypress plays home to this $80 million multi-use complex, complete with an 11,000 seat football stadium for the Cy-Fair Independent School District, a 456 seat theater and a multi-purpose arena with a capacity for 9,500. Here, you’ll find a lineup of family-friendly productions, from Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships to the Nutcracker. Click here for directions.
